Delicate Equilibrium
by Neural Ignition
Summary: In the world where the Dark Lord is prevailing, the Weasleys are just a poor Light family that has to quarter a timid Death Eater named Harry Potter.


**Title** : Delicate Equilibrium

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Harry Potter.

**Rating** : Mostly K+

**Summary** : In the world where the Dark Lord is prevailing, the Weasleys are just a poor Light family that has to quarter a timid Death Eater named Harry Potter.

**Warnings**: As you have noticed by the summary, this is very very AU. I will try my best to keep the people in character. But be warned that many elements of this story will not follow canon.

A/N : This doesn't mean that I'm abandoning my other story. I will keep continuing it, too.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1. Notification<strong>

Arthur Weasley stepped into the Burrow with a solemn face. It had always been like this since the Dark Lord had taken over the Ministry. Arthur had tried to smile as he came home and not to let his glum mood extend to his household, but this time it was difficult for him to even move the muscle of his lips other than frowning.

At his entrance, Molly came out to greet him with a somber, but encouraging, smile. After the usual greeting, Arthur paused for a moment.

"Molly, dear, let's have the boys and Ginny gather in the room."

Molly's face paled as she recognized Arthur's foreboding tone. She gently rested her hand on his arm, silently inquiring.

Arthur took out an envelope that had weighed him down the moment it had been placed on his hands. Molly gasped, bringing her hand over her mouth, as she recognized the Ministry's crest on it. She turned her frightened eyes at him.

"What does this mean, Arthur?"

Arthur only shook his head. "We shall see."

He went to change his clothes as Molly called their children in a lout but slightly trembling voice. Arthur hung the cloak on the hanger, straightening the hems. He sighed as he saw the Ministry's crest on his official robe. The shape of a skull with a snake coiled in its mouth and a letter M between the snake's fangs was very disturbing, making Arthur's insides drop every time he saw it. It was a reminder of his failure. Of their failure. Of the Order's failure.

They had lost. The difference in the powers of two sides was too great to overcome, unless there was some miraculous prophecy predicting the downfall of the Dark Lord. But there wasn't. No prophecies, but propagandas, threats, and deaths.

Clutching the letter tightly in his hand, Arthur walked over to the room where all the children, except Bill and Charlie who were out of country for their works, and Molly were seated around the table with nervous looks. Arthur sat down on a chair between Molly and Percy.

Ginny sat beside Molly, holding onto her with her face pale. Percy stared down at the table with a forced blank face, ignoring Ron's light nudge on the sides. Arthur had a feeling that Percy suspected what all this was about, since he also worked in the Ministry too, although in a different department. Ron looked confused, even scared, wondering what grim news his father had to give. The twins were uncharacteristically quiet, though they were constantly sharing ooks and quirking eyebrows.

Ron seemed to finally give into his curiosity and anxiety.

"Dad? What's going on? Is this about that letter in your hand?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, Ron. It's the Minister's order."

Everyone's face darkened at the mention of the Minister. Pius Thicknesse was a mere puppet under the Dark Lord's strings. They had been shocked to hear Thicknesse was sympathizing with the Dark Lord's views, as the man had never been the sort. Kingsley had hinted Thicknesse was under Imperius Curse, and the remaining Order had been unsure if they should be happy or not.

"Did you open it, Dad?" Ginny asked, wide eyed.

Arthur tore open the envelope as an answer and took out the parchment inside it. His eyes swiftly moved along, skipping the pretentious greeting. By the time he reached the bottom of his letter, blood drained from his face and unadulterated misery gripped his heart. His mind was blank from absolute horror and abruptness of this notification.

They all shifted in their seats at his reaction.

"Arthur?" inquired Molly in almost tearful voice.

He swallowed thickly. He needed to be strong for his family. But, but –

"We are to quarter a Death Eater in our house."

Shocked silence.

Then it was all chaos.

"WHAT?" Ron bellowed, getting to his feet and knocking the chair to the floor. "A DEATH EATER?"

Fred and George looked at each other with astonished faces, and Arthur could somehow see their thought process ending up with Beater's bats in their bedroom.

"No, we can't kill him, much less than harm him. We will be given 'severe consequence should anything go wrong with the stay.'"

The twins didn't even seem to feel guilty at that.

"Who said anything about killing him or hurting him?" Fred and George plastered angelic smiles on their faces, attempting to look innocent.

"Just a few toffees and some candies won't do him harm," said Fred with confidence, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "Right, George?"

"Of course, Fred. We should come up with the list of snacks to give him."

Arthur detected their wheels of devious minds clicking and turning.

"Now boys – " Arthur started.

"Turning him into a canary isn't harming or killing him, Dad."

"Or making his tongue grow 5 feet."

Arthur thought Fred whisper to George, "and accidentally stepping on it."

"Or making him puke snails once in a while."

"Or give him a love potion to fall in love with our garden gnome."

"Or have some cute spiders in his room like Ronnikins'."

Ron paled at the mention of spiders.

Percy only pursed his lips and stayed silent, while Ginny let out a horrified gasp.

"We're telling Bill and Charlie about this, right?" Ginny sounded so hopeful, no doubt thinking she would feel much safer with a Curse-Breaker and a Dragon trainer at home.

"Oh, I'm not so sure." Molly frowned. "I don't want their works to be interrupted by this." Molly looked at Arthur for his opinion.

"Mum, _this_ is a serious situation! We're sharing the house with the Dark Lord's minion who may be very well inclined to kill us off while we're sleeping!" Ron's face paled. "He's going to sleep with us!"

"There it is," interrupted George. "Ron's slip of him being gay." George nodded slowly as he leaned back on the chair, crossing his legs.

"Actually, George, I think it was a slip of his immoral fantasy. 'Us?'" Fred gave George a pointed look.

Ron turned bright red as his hair. "Wha – what! No! I didn't mean it like that, you wankers!" he spluttered. "I meant that he's going to sleep in the same house! Not, not in the same bed!"

The thick tension that previously existed was subdued by the interaction of the twins and Ron. Arthur let a small smile escape.

Percy spoke up for the first time. "Why are we assuming the Death Eater would be male?"

Fred and George let out cat calls. "Percy, mate, we told you to hang out with few girls already! We didn't know you were that desperate for birds to wish for a she-Death Eater." They scrunched their noses in disgust.

Percy bit his bottom lip to refrain from snapping like an immature child, but his hands were fisted into tight balls.

"Good point, Percy," Molly intervened before the situation got worse. "Oh dear." Her shoulders slumped in worry.

"What's wrong, mum?" Ginny asked.

"We have to rearrange the rooms. If it's a male, we can't have him share the room with you, Ginny. Even if it's a female, I'm still not comfortable letting you sleep alone in the room with her."

Ron looked outrageous. "Wait, does this mean this minion is going to have a room for himself? Or herself?" Molly and Arthur nodded.

"WHAT! That's not fair! This bastard is basically going to eat our food, bought from our expense, use our house's facilities, _and_ stay in a room comfortably all by himself?" Ron shouted with fury.

"Actually the Ministry is paying the money needed for his food and clothes," replied Arthur, lifting up the letter.

"Then why is he staying anyway?"

Percy stepped in. "Because the Ministry wants to keep close watch on us."

"Why?" Ron cried in frustration.

Molly leaned in on the table. "You may not remember because you were young, Ron, but your father and I supported Dumbledore during the war. We were members of the Order of Phoenix, an organization opposing the Dark Lord. Indeed it's been a while since the Dark Lord has taken over, but I suspect recent signs of rebellions are making the Ministry weary."

"Is the Death Eater going to watch our every move?" asked Ginny weakly.

"It's very likely, dear," Molly answered in a sad voice.

"We'll be spied on in our own home." She shuddered at the thought.

Silence rested around the table.

"When is the Death Eater going to move in?" Fred asked.

Arthur checked the letter again. "It doesn't specify but says 'within 10 days.'"

Everyone looked downcast, except the twins.

George muttered lowly under his breath. "Less than 10 days of planning, Freddie."

Fred nodded. "We'll make the best of it."

They stared at each other and grinned.

* * *

><p>Very AU, yes?<p> 


End file.
